7 Year Anniversary

So I totally stole this idea off of my friend Katie's blog. I thought it was brilliant. Especially since I have THE worst memory. I thought it would be a fun and free way for us to celebrate our Anniversary, as well as help preserve what little memories I have left! So this is for you, Charles. Happy 7 Years. I love you. :)

1. Where did you and your husband meet?

Well, depending on who you ask, you will get a different answer. I remember meeting, (or at least learning WHO he was) while we were in Junior High. I remember because even though we were on different tracks, he was a drummer in the band, and I was on the drill team and so we had marching practice after school. I remember Charles was the one always snogging his girlfriend on Mrs. Crounse's couch! Gross! But if you were to ask him, he would say our Freshman year of High School. Hmmph! Too cool to notice his future wife in Junior High! :)

2. First things said?

So this may be awkward... and I hope I don't embarrass anyone... but I actually remember talking to him in Junior High. My friend Michelle Rasch, (who was also on the drill team with me) told me she liked him and wanted me to ask him out for her. "Going out." LOL Back then that meant boyfriend/girlfriend status. I remember she said, "That Charles Socci is fiiiiiiiine!" LOL. Remember saying that? "Fine." Now we say "hot." "He's so hot." Anyway, I hope this doesn't embarrass Michelle now, but he said no, and I remember telling her later that he was a jerk. But I guess it all worked out, because he was just the wrong Socci boy for her. She ended up marrying his younger brother Forrest. And so now Michelle is my sister-in-law! (Love you, girl!) Charles, of course, doesn't remember any of this... too popular to remember the little people. :) Just kidding!

3. First Date?

Okay, before I tell you about our first date, I must first give a little background. So Charles and I had like 3 class together our Freshman year, and we liked each other almost the whole time. I invited him to a church dance when I was 14 and that is where he "asked me out." I had to tell him no, because I am LDS, and we don't date until we are 16. (Mom and Dad, be proud.. be very proud. Remember how proud you feel as I tell you the next part.)

Well, we stayed friends, until he decided he needed a girlfriend. Punk. Once that was over we started being friends again.

Just a month before I turned 16, he called me and asked me if I wanted to go to a JetHawks game with him. I was torn. I knew I still had a month to go, but I also didn't want to tell him no, and have him lose interest again. My family and I were supposed to be going to a Galexy game that night... so I played the Homework card. I told my parents I needed to stay home and work on a project. (*cringe*... sorry Mom and Dad!) Charles picked me up in his shiny new blue 1996 Pontiac Grand Am sedan.

We went to the game, then to Tommy's where the have the BEST French Fries, and then he took he home. I got there RIGHT before my family got back. I'm sorry I snuck out, but this was my future husband! The father of my unborn children! Who knows what kind of psycho I might have ended up with? I HAD to!... Right?

4. First Kiss

This happened after we had been dating for about 2 months. I was dropping Charles off at his house in the good ole' Ford Escort. I was telling him goodbye, when he looked at me and then asked me if it would be alright if he kissed me. I got really nervous and said, okay. He gave me a very nice "church kiss," and I was like panicking. Right before he closed the door, I told him to wait. I asked him if I was a bad kisser... He told me it was good, but that we could practice. :)

5. When “I love yous” were first said:

So this would be at 2 different times. I believe he told me after we had been dating for like 6 months or so. When he told me, I remember feeling so awkward. I knew I liked him a lot, but I wasn't sure if I was in love, or what that even was. I didn't want to lie to him by just saying it back, so I said, "thank you." He still won't let me forget that one. He says he had never felt so lame. I think it was another 6 months or so before I said it back.

6. Long or short courtship/engagement?

Definitely a long courtship, and a short engagement. We had a good 3 years from our first date till he left for his mission, plus 2 months afterwards. We had 2 homecoming dances... 2 Proms...

missionary discussions...

3 Christmases together...

his baptism...

our graduation...

then I went to BYU for college and he stayed in Lancaster and went to AVC. But he visited me every chance he got and even took me to my Homecoming game and dance at BYU.

Then he served a mission in Rome...

while I got 2 more years of school under my belt...

then he came home.

Our engagement was significantly shorter. Almost 3 months long.

7. Where did you get engaged?

We got engaged at Julianne and Bryce's house on the morning of April 18, 2002... Exactly 5 years after our first date. Charles had been home from his mission almost 2 months, and he drove up to Utah and stayed with Julianne and Bryce.

One thing I will never hear the end of is... I put the down payment on my own ring. I didn't mean to! Charles asked Julianne to take me looking to try and get an idea of what I liked and what I didn't like. Well I found the perfect one, and the salesman totally took advantage of me! How was I supposed to know? I had never bought anything where the sticker price wasn't actually the price! He told me that if I didn't secure the diamond, that I would never find a better deal... and I thought I would be saving Charles some money... so I did it. My mom was POed. And Charles was also a little frustrated. Oops!

8. Where did you get married?

We were married in the Los Angeles temple on July 27, 2002. Our Luncheon was at the AV Inn, and our Reception was held in my parents' backyard, and it was perfect. Maybe a little crowded, because we didn't really think that so many people would show up, but we were pleasantly surprised. :) I loved everything about that day. Everyone worked so hard to help us have such an amazing day.

9. Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Ummm... I know we went to Park City. And I know I got sick. That's about all I remember. Oh! And we shopped the Outlet Mall and I bought 2 skirts. Charles? You may have to fill in here.

10. Where did you make your first home?

Our first home was a one bedroom apartment in south Provo called the Villa Maria. We paid like $470 a month. It had no dishwasher, and no washer/dryer hookups. I guess it wasn't so bad considering it was just the 2 of us... but man, I can't imagine going without those things now! We rode the bus to campus each day, and it was so much fun. We lived there until April 2004 when we had Jaden. After that we lived with my parents in Lancaster for a summer then we moved back to Provo into a 2 bedroom apartment called the Diamar III.

Happy 4th of July! "Where there's never a ghost or braid"

So... what can you get with 10 dollars at Walmart and a whole lot of sunscreen ? Hours and hours of summer fun. This is how the boys have been spending their days. They LOVE this pool. It's big enough for the 3 of them to fit comfortably, but small enough to stay warm in the sun. It has been GREAT for me to be able to send them outside again, so I can get some things done, and they can wear themselves out! One day, after about 3 hours, and 3 applications of sunscreen, I seriously had to drag them back inside. They were so upset! Ahhhh... good times.





Here's Charles joining them after his shift at the Temple.




Another thing the boys love to do is play with our new couches. Since the cushions are removable, the boys have found all sorts of uses for them...

This one is their boat...


Here is Bradley in his boat... (we didn't know he could climb up onto the couch by himself till we found him like this)


A bed...


A fort!!



And here's Kaleb pretending to be Jaden's Dad. I don't know why he opted for the Mr. Potato glasses over some that actually fit, but... they worked!


And now... in honor of today... the boys would like to sing you a song:

Remodeling

So Charles has been working his tail off on our house. Now that his break is over from school, he will be taking a break on the house. But here are some pictures of all his hard work. I'm impressed. I think you will be too. :)

BEFORE

TV/Family Room, Dining & Kitchen (One big combo)

AFTER

TV Room (New paint, baseboards, moulding around windows and archway, and new couches)

Dining (that new door is to a pantry that Charles built in. New Tile)
Kitchen
BEFORE
Front/Living Room
AFTER
Living Room (New Carpet, paint, moulding and crown moulding, new couches and tables)
This WAS a storage closet (under the stairs) with concrete for the floor. We put in carpet and baseboards and are going to try and keep it empty for the boys to play in. Maybe someday we'll paint it something fun.


Charles also redid the bathroom and laundry room, but I didn't take pictures.

As you can see there is nothing up on our walls... We are still rearranging things, trying to see where they will go before we start decorating. We still have a lot to do like painting the doors, the ceiling, finishing up the pantry, putting granite counter tops in the kitchen along with some crown moulding on the cabinets... And we also decide that we are going to change the color of the cabinets to the same color as our kitchen table. But these may have to wait till next summer.

Anyway, Charles did an amazing job and we all are just LOVING it. He worked just about every minute he had. Here's the poor guy putting in some last minute tile before the carpet people came. He had been up all day the day before, then worked a night shift, then put the tile in when he got home. Then he went to bed! Yeah... he pretty much rocks. :)